Award Booking HEL-HND-SYD in JAL PE

[clifford]

I'm trying to book this itinerary as a multi-city award on the QF website using points.

There is availability (confirmed on the BA website) as follows:


but the QF website errors out when trying to ticket the booking with the message:

• "We are unable to confirm your selected flights. Select ‘Start over’ and choose alternative flights. (15079 - 23951 - 420)".

Is there any way of getting the website to finalise the ticketing? Perhaps a call centre agent could do it, but having already spoken to one in Fiji about it, I'm dreading that option.

Another option would be to get two separate tickets (the website will allow this, but at a higher cost, of course), but will JAL and/or the Japanese authorities allow this, given the current entry restrictions into Japan (is there an airside transfer desk at HND?).

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[sudoer]

Is there any way of getting the website to finalise the ticketing? Perhaps a call centre agent could do it, but having already spoken to one in Fiji about it, I'm dreading that option.

A friend of mine was having the same issue booking JAL SYD-HND-JFK last week. I called HBA on his behalf to get it booked - the website wouldn't play ball, and Fiji were equally useless - although their argument was that it's not possible to book 360 days in advance despite the awards showing showing in the Qantas multi-city tool. You might have more luck.

 

[Batterytraveller]

Depending on the date JL51 is a 787-8 which doesn’t have premium economy seating. Pre covid it was often up-guaged to a 789 or 773 for the Australian summer/Japanese ski season.

The system might be balking at booking a mixed cabin award.

 

[Mattg]

My first thought is that you've run into a married segments issue.

On the BA website, is availability showing when you search HEL-SYD, or just on the individual legs when searching for HEL-HND and HND-SYD separately?

 

[clifford]

My first thought is that you've run into a married segments issue.

On the BA website, is availability showing when you search HEL-SYD, or just on the individual legs when searching for HEL-HND and HND-SYD separately?

It's actually showing as HEL-SYD on the BA website (see below). So what can be done to book it wit Qantas points?

 

[Mattg]

It's actually showing as HEL-SYD on the BA website (see below). So what can be done to book it wit Qantas points?

View attachment 290664

Hmm. Bizarre.

Theoretically, since this is available on BA, you should also be able to book this on the Qantas website by searching HEL-SYD. But I can see it's not appearing if you search for that date on the QF website.

What says to me that this could be a married segment issue with Qantas, is that this combination of flights *does* appear on the Qantas website if you search for different dates:



So the fact it's not showing on 26 October is probably due to unavailability through QFF (for whatever reason). If that's the case, splitting it up into a multi-city booking on the QF website won't fix the issue.

All I can suggest is HUACA (although I honestly doubt that will work), or trying a different date.

Yes, I realise this is BS - welcome to QFF

 

[clifford]

Hmm. Bizarre.

Theoretically, since this is available on BA, you should also be able to book this on the Qantas website by searching HEL-SYD. But I can see it's not appearing if you search for that date on the QF website.

What says to me that this could be a married segment issue with Qantas, is that this combination of flights *does* appear on the Qantas website if you search for different dates:

View attachment 290665

So the fact it's not showing on 26 October is probably due to unavailability through QFF (for whatever reason). If that's the case, splitting it up into a multi-city booking on the QF website won't fix the issue.

All I can suggest is HUACA (although I honestly doubt that will work), or trying a different date.

Yes, I realise this is BS - welcome to QFF

Thanks. Doesn't sound promising...

I'll probably book it with Avios instead.

 

[clifford]

Thanks. Doesn't sound promising...

I'll probably book it with Avios instead.

Well I tried to book on BA, and it bombed out after taking my credit card details, so it would appear that this itinerary can't be booked on one ticket.

What if I booked 2 separate tix? Would that cause a problem with boarding in HEL or transiting at HND?

 

[Mattg]

Well I tried to book on BA, and it bombed out after taking my credit card details, so it would appear that this itinerary can't be booked on one ticket.

What if I booked 2 separate tix? Would that cause a problem with boarding in HEL or transiting at HND?

Ah - that answers the question then. Married segments.

Under the current entry rules for Japan, you would not be able to enter the country and would possibly be denied boarding at HEL, unless JL agreed to check you all the way through to SYD.

It might work if the checkin staff at HEL are helpful, but personally I wouldn't risk it.

 

[RooFlyer]

I'm trying to book this itinerary as a multi-city award on the QF website using points.

Travel via Japan? On Qantas points? Brave man

 

[clifford]

Ah - that answers the question then. Married segments.

Under the current entry rules for Japan, you would not be able to enter the country and would possibly be denied boarding at HEL, unless JL agreed to check you all the way through to SYD.

It might work if the checkin staff at HEL are helpful, but personally I wouldn't risk it.

Well, after doing a bit of research on FT, I decided to make the 2 separate bookings, HEL-HND and HND-SYD. With a 6-hour "connection", the feedback was that this was very doable and JL should not have a problem. However, YMMV.

Normally, I wouldn't have gone close to these bookings, but under the circumstances there was little choice (other than to spend up big).

I did have a CPH-BKK-MEL awd ticket on TG in business (very nice), but the UA agent I booked with screwed that up by not entering my personal info correctly (difficult to see because of UA's systems).

So, when that booking had to be cancelled, I had a bit of a task to find something to replace it. The best I could find was the HEL-SYD trip, although UA threw up such gems of transiting DAC in 1 hr 35 mins with different airlines. It might have worked, but...

So my "risky" choice of JL HEL-HND-SYD on 2 tix.

We shall see...

 

[tdimdad]

So my "risky" choice of JL HEL-HND-SYD on 2 tix.

We shall see...

What's on your side on this is the fact that JL usually is very good with their on-time performance. There's a high likelyhood that if the first flight operates, you'll be in HND as planned, well in time for the connection.

In HEL, at least in May, they used external agents (who actually looked like AY staff) with JL staff hovering in the background. If the agent initially seems to be unable to issue the BP for your connection and check your bags through, try to get them to check with the JL staff member if there's a way to do it.

BTW, check your baggage weight limits. I didn't and paid for it in SYD (23 kg limit, 30 kg bag) but got 27 kg through in HEL for free after the JL staff member gave her nod ("for this one time only") on my way back.

 

[clifford]

If the agent initially seems to be unable to issue the BP for your connection and check your bags through, try to get them to check with the JL staff member if there's a way to do it.

The fact that I will be HBO will probably help, I assume.